The present invention pertains generally to a cushioning system for an article worn or held by a user and, more particularly, to a uniquely configured massaging and reflexology system for an article of footwear, for a hand-held implement, or for use with other articles that may be placed into contact with the body. The massaging and reflexology system is specifically configured to provide the combined therapeutic benefits of shock absorption and reflexology to a user's feet, hands or other parts of the body while simultaneously providing the benefits of air circulation to remove perspiration and dissipate body heat as well as providing muscle stimulation and blood circulation.
There is currently known in the prior art, cushioned insoles for footwear to provide shock absorption to the feet. The cushioning features of these insoles serve to protect the feet, knees, and other joints from injury during walking and running. Configured as either permanently affixed to the sole on the inside of a shoe or separately insertable, certain insoles may be configured to additionally provide massaging features by incorporating projections into a top surface of the insole. These projections may promote blood circulation within the foot to improve the strength, stamina and endurance of the foot muscles, thereby increasing the overall health and comfort of the user. Improved blood circulation is especially important in demanding applications, such as athletics. The prior art includes several devices for shoe insoles, each one purporting to include features which improve the comfort and health of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,071 discloses an insole with a top surface having a series of spaced, hollow humps. The humps have rounded top surfaces which bend laterally and deform elastically under pressure from the foot, returning to their original position when the pressure from the foot is reduced. Although the hollow humps provide a massaging effect to the user's foot, unless permanently mounted to the sole on the inside of the shoe, the insole may slide around in the shoe, creating the risk of blistering of the top and sides of the foot as it rubs against the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,995 discloses an air cushion for a shoe sole. The air cushion has at least one lateral cylindrical space or cavity of rectilinear cross-section for providing automatically adjustable cushioning by means of an air valve. The air valve is configured to allow for the introduction of shock absorbing fluid, such as a gas, into the cavity. The air valve also includes a means for bleeding a portion of the shock absorbing gas such that the gas pressure, and hence the shock absorbing characteristics of the shoe, may be tailored to match the physical characteristics of the user and to the type of activity in which the user may be engaged. Although the air cushion of the reference allows for the tuning and optimization of the shoe's cushioning characteristics, the air cushion suffers from the inability to provide massaging of the bottom of the feet during use. Furthermore, the air cushion of the reference fails to provide any means for circulating air within the insole to reduce the problem of perspiration and heat buildup within the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,680 discloses a three-dimensional textile fabric for use in footwear, and particularly for use in the insoles of athletic shoes. The textile fabric is constructed of a three-dimensional fiber network structure that is claimed to be of light weight, have improved breathability characteristics and the capability of being repeatedly flexed without a loss of cushioning properties. A multiplicity of projections may be included in the insole, the size, shape and rigidity of the projections varied along the length of the insole in order to enhance the cushioning properties of the insole. While the fiber network described in the reference is primarily directed at providing a material construction for producing a resilient and lightweight insole, the configuration does not include any massaging features in the configuration. Furthermore, due to the relatively large size of the projections, the user may experience physical strain and discomfort, especially at the ball of the foot because this area of the foot typically bears against the insole even while the foot is resting flat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,843 discloses a fluid-filled bladder for use in the sole of an article of footwear. The bladder has a plurality of separate sealed cushioning chambers that are in fluid communication with each other. A control device is included to dynamically distribute and regulate the pressure of the fluid within the chambers based on sensor feedback as well as user input. A central processing unit (CPU) may also be included to regulate electronically-actuated, CPU-commanded valves that operate to control the flow of fluid amongst the chambers in order to optimize the performance of the cushioning system. Although the device in the reference features a high degree of controllability and is capable of being optimized for a particular wearer and activity, the combination of many chambers, valves, and the CPU necessarily translates into a highly complex system which is of high cost and has decreased reliability compared to passive cushioning systems. Moreover, such a device lacks any massaging and ventilation characteristics featured by simpler devices of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,597 discloses an elastic air-sack insole configured to improve the recirculation of air within an article of footwear. Formed of an elastic film affixed to the edge of a flat insole, the air-sack insole automatically absorbs and exhausts air into and out of the footwear article such that the inside of the shoes are maintained in a dry and cool condition. Although the cushioning air-sack of the reference may be effective in providing enhanced air circulation inside the insole of the footwear article, such a device lacks the capability for circulating air underneath the user's foot because the air sack is sealed underneath the top surface of the insole. Furthermore, the referenced device lacks the capability for providing any massaging effect to the user's feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,941 discloses a foot massaging shoe insole having a base made of foam, a fabric material layer fused over the foam layer, and rounded pellets made of synthetic plastic arranged in clusters that are adhered to and spaced about the base for contacting the foot during use. The spatial arrangement of the clusters is described as forming air channels along which air can circulate in order to provide ventilation between the wearer's foot and the insole. Although the upper surfaces of the rounded pellets are intended to massage the foot with the foam base providing the benefit of cushioning, the localized placement of the clusters of pellets may inhibit the circulation of air along the length of the insole because the user's foot may block the flow of air where the foot locally contacts the base in the areas intermediate each of the clusters. Furthermore, unless permanently mounted to the sole of a shoe, the insole may slide around in the shoe causing blistering of the top and sides of the foot during walking or running.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,807 discloses a fluid filled support system for footwear having a plurality of fluid-filled bladders that are fluidly interconnected. The support system includes a support member that completely surrounds the foot to provide cushioning and support. As pressure is applied to the wearer's foot, the support member reacts by forcing the redistribution of entrapped fluid from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Although the device of the reference provides a responsive cushioning system, such a system is complex and costly to manufacture. Furthermore, the device of the reference fails to provide any massaging features or air ventilation features.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,161 discloses a shock-absorbing cushion that may be utilized in an insole. Comprised of two sheets sealed together at the periphery and having a hollow interior, one sheet is flat or smooth while the other sheet includes a plurality of recesses which may be holes or grooves with vertical walls that tie the two sheets together to form a cubic supporting structure. The structure has a hollow interior filled with fluid or a semi-solid material to have an inherent supporting characteristic against pressure or shock. Although the shock-absorbing suction material may be widely applied to sporting goods such as leg or shin guards, shoulder pads, racket grips and the like, the structure includes no provisions for air circulation or massaging of the user's skin to improve blood circulation.
In addition to the devices mentioned above that are configured to improve the health and comfort of a user of footwear, one additional feature that may be included in such devices provides for the application of massage to certain zones on the sole of the foot. It is believed that massaging specific zones of the foot promotes the stimulation of specific organs. Reflexology, or acupressure, is a technique involving the application of localized stimulation to specific spots or nerve zones on the exterior of the human body, including the hands and feet, in order to stimulate internal organs and muscles that are believed to be connected to these nerve zones.
In addition, it is well known that applying localized pressure, or massaging, to specific areas of the soles of the feet results in relaxation of the body in general. Thus, it follows that a cushioning system including features for providing acupressure to specific zones of the feet with the additional benefit of air circulation and general massaging to stimulate blood flow may result in an improvement in the overall comfort and health of the wearer or user. Likewise, such a system may be adapted for use on the handle grip of a hand-held implement such that the combined therapeutic benefits of shock absorption, air circulation, massage and reflexology may also be provided to a user's hands. Furthermore, such a system may be adapted for use in other articles that are worn or that bear against the body such that the above-mentioned therapeutic benefits may be provided to other areas of the wearer or user's body.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a system that can be used in footwear and other worn articles to provide the benefits of support and cushioning to protect the feet, knees, and other joints from injury due to repeated shock caused by the impact of footwear or other worn or used articles on hard surfaces. Additionally, there exists a need in the art for a system that can be used in footwear and other worn or used articles to provide the benefits of air circulation between the user's body and the article in order to remove perspiration and dissipate body heat. Also, there exists a need in the art for a system that can be used in footwear and other worn or used articles to simultaneously provide continuous massaging and stimulation of blood circulation in the feet, hands and other body surfaces. For an article of footwear and other articles configured to bear against the feet, such continuous massaging may be induced by the rhythmic application of pressure upon the bottom of the feet during walking or running.